The present invention relates to protectors or supports such as splints, for the support or protection of an extremity or other body part. More particularly, the invention relates to a splint in the form of one or more sheets that is stiff in a first direction and rollable in a second direction.
Splints and other types of supports and protective means, per se, are well known in the medical art. Splints generally include a rigid member with some means of fastening the member to a body part. U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,258 to Castle discloses a disposable splint that is made of multiple sheets of material such as paper. The splint is stiff in a first direction and rollable in a direction perpendicular to said first direction. Other common means to support and protect body parts are elastic orthopedic bandages that are adjustable e.g. via a VELCRO(trademark) fastener. U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,838 to Sherman discloses an orthopedic bandage that can include stays inserted between two layers of the fabric of the bandage to provide additional support for an extremity or other body part wrapped in said bandage.
The splint of the present invention was originally developed for the treatment of trigger finger. Trigger finger is a condition in which an afflicted finger spontaneously snaps into a flexed position when the finger is at rest. The afflicted finger then needs to be pulled into position. The snapping can cause sharp pain and swelling. A frequent cause of trigger finger is overuse of the afflicted finger.
The conventional treatment for trigger finger involves either injections whenever the problem occurs or surgery. The injections can be painful and the surgical treatment usually requires the patient to rest the operated finger for extended periods. The inventor of the present invention searched for alternative treatments for her trigger finger since she was not willing to either undergo further painful injections or to stop working for an extended period of time after a surgical intervention.
Since the snapping usually occurred at night she experimented with devices that she could wear at night to prevent her finger from snapping. Surprisingly, she found that wearing the inventive splint at night and taking it off during the day not only prevented the finger from snapping at night, but provided permanent relief. She no longer needs to wear the splint and is symptom free.
During further experimentation, she discovered that the inventive splint has wider application than the treatment of trigger finger. For example wearing the inventive splint on the toe next to her big toe relieved the pain of a bunion. U.S. Reissue Pat. No. 34,753 to Groiso mentions the use of rigid molded splints to treat trigger finger. However, Groiso failed to disclose treatment of trigger finger with splints similar to those of the present inventor. Thus, the present invention has, among other things, filled a need for splints that are easy to don and remove, and readily reuseable and useful in the treatment of trigger finger and for other purposes disclosed herein.
In a first aspect, the invention represents a splint for a body part which comprises at least one sheet of woven fabric. This sheet has, in a first direction, sufficient stiffness, when rolled and secured about the body part, to substantially resist bending of the body part. Moreover, the sheet is sufficiently compliant in a second direction, cross-wise relative to the first direction, to permit easy rolling of the sheet about the body part when the latter extends generally in said first direction. Finally, the splint comprises fastening means to secure the splint in rolled condition about the body part when the splint and sheet are rolled about a line extending in the first direction.
In another aspect, the invention is a splint for use on, and in caring for or treating, a body part of a living entity, said support comprising at least one thin sheet of fabric. In this aspect, the sheet has, extending in a first direction, a first set of fibers that are integrated with the weave of the sheet and that contribute to the sheet an amount of stiffness in the first direction which is sufficient, when the sheet is rolled and secured about the body part, to afford opposition against bending of the body part. Extending in a second direction in the sheet, said direction being cross-wise relative to the first direction, a second set of fibers is woven into the sheet, said second set of fibers and the sheet having sufficient flexibility to permit convenient manual rolling of the support about the body part when the latter is extended generally in the first direction. The sheet also has sufficient permeability to pass substances between the inner and outer surfaces of the rolled support. At least part of the sheet is a load-bearing portion of the support, non-hardenable under ordinary conditions of use, able to resist circumferential and/or bending loads. There is also at least one fastening device including hooks on a first portion of the splint and cooperating loops elsewhere on the splint to maintain the splint in rolled condition about the body part.
In still another aspect, the invention may or may not be a splint but in any event will constitute a support for use on, and in caring for or treating, a body part of any kind of living entity, whether of a human, an animal or a plant. The support comprises at least one sheet of woven fabric. The fabric has, extending in a first direction, a first set of members that are connected with the sheet and that contribute to the sheet an amount of stiffness in the first direction which is sufficient, when the sheet is rolled and secured about the body part, to afford support to the body part. Extending in a second direction in the sheet, said direction being cross-wise relative to the first direction, a second set of members is woven into the sheet. This second set of members and the sheet are sufficiently compliant to permit easy rolling of the sheet about the body part when the latter is extended generally in the first direction. At least part of the sheet, including at least part of the first set of members, is a load-bearing portion of the support. At least one fastener is secured to and positioned in or on the support to maintain the support in rolled condition about the body part.
In yet another aspect, the invention represents a method of treating trigger finger. The method comprises wearing, on at least one finger, a splint or support having the features of any of the foregoing aspects of the invention. In this method, the device is worn at any convenient time, and preferably during a period of sleep.
The invention also includes a variety of preferred embodiments in which the splints or other supports of any of the above-described aspects may have, be or include any one or any combination of the following features:
a span in the first direction which is at least a substantial portion of the length of, and is up to about the length of, a human digit;
a span in the first direction which is at least a substantial portion of the length of, and is up to about the length of, a human finger, and overlaps in its span at least two finger joints;
first and second edges separated from one another in the second direction and having sufficient expanse in the second direction to support the body part in the first direction when the support is rolled securely about said digit but having insufficient expanse in the second direction for the edges to overlap on another;
first and second edges separated from one another in the second direction and having sufficient expanse in the second direction for the edges to overlap one another when the support is rolled securely about said digit;
an overlap which is at least 20% of the diameter of the rolled support, or which extends about less than the entire periphery of the support, or which is up to 50% of the diameter of the rolled support;
not hardenable;
sufficient permeability to pass substances between the inner and outer surfaces of the rolled support;
a fastening device that comprises hook means on a first portion of the support and cooperating loop means elsewhere on the support to maintain the support in rolled condition about said body part;
hook means and loop means that respectively comprise hook fabric and loop fabric;
hook fabric and loop fabric that are each within the outline of the sheet;
hook fabric which extends outside the outline of the sheet;
first and second edges separated from one another in the second direction and have sufficient expanse in the second direction for the edges to overlap one another when the support is rolled securely about said digit and wherein the hook fabric is at one of the edges and the loop fabric is at the other of the edges;
hook fabric and loop fabric which are in the form of elongated strips located at said edges and running along said edges substantially in the first direction; at least one or both of said strips extending substantially throughout the span of the support in the first direction;
as a fastening device, an adhesive bond between overlapping portions of the support;
fabric with a weave including warp and weft formed of materials of differing stiffness, one of which is semi-rigid and the other of which is soft and pliable;
fabric with a weave including warp with a stiffness similar to that of the bristles of a hairbrush and weft in the form of compliant thread;
fabric that includes thermoplastic fibers;
fabric that is partly or fully resin-coated;
at least one sheet, including a sheet or a combination of sheets, which represents a major load-bearing member, or the sole load-bearing member, of the support;
a single sheet of the fabric which may represent a major load-bearing member, or the sole load-bearing member, of the support;
configured in such a way that the cross-wise second direction is perpendicular to the first direction;
configured in such a way that the cross-wise second direction is not perpendicular to the first direction;
resistant to degradation upon washing.
The present invention provides a new and improved support, which may be a splint, in form of one or more sheets of fabric that provides support in a first direction and is rollable in a second direction.
Various embodiments of the invention will provide one, more and in some cases all of the following advantages:
The support of the present invention is easy to put on, to remove, to replace and is adjustable in size. In a preferred embodiment the splint is permeable to air. Permeability to air reduces the risk of swelling of an supported body part and allows for combination treatments that might be impossible or at least difficult to administer with splints that do not have the same degree of permeability. Permeability to air also contributes to wearing comfort, which may speed up the healing process of a body part since the user may be willing to wear the splint over longer periods than e.g. a conventional bandage. Such a splint can be readily fabricated of materials that can withstand sterilization. The light weight, thinness and washability of the splint constitute further advantages that can be expected to contribute significantly to user-acceptance.
Other advantages will be apparent from the disclosure which follows and from use of the invention.